I thought a few of us quit on or around 1 January 2019?

I’m just checking in to report on 10 months alco free.

To recap, I used to drink the equivalent of a bottle of wine a day for around 15 years. I was obese (240 lbs). I cut down to half a bottle of wine a day, started exercising and eating more carefully, and the weight started coming off amazingly fast. I was a fit guy, but still gulped down my daily quota of wine - and worryingly wanted more. I realised I was dependent on booze and had to stop.

On a serious health note, my liver was fatty (diagnosed by ultrasound) but this cured itself within a few months of not drinking. With recent scare stories of liver cancer rates increasing, that was very welcome news.

I’m slightly annoyed I still crave a glass of wine on occasions, but this urge is a poor relation to the monster urges I had when drinking. I have a healthy fear of drinking again as if I have one today, I’ll wave one tomorrow and so on. Only one way that will end.

That last point is something I’ve really learned on sites like this. An ex-heavy drinker can’t be a moderate one ever.

Good luck all. It gets easier.

That’s great to hear. Well done to you too.

It was a coincidence I gave up on New Years Day. I was on a long haul flight that day and ordered one beer. I’d been drinking almost nothing in the weeks leading up to that, but as I said I still had the strong urges to drink. Anyone feeling that way is far better off quitting altogether.

You’re doing just fine 👍

This is great news, Unshackled and SuficintCrlsns 😃

I reckon - with a huge caveat to never be complacent - we’ve now got the tools to stay sober for life. We just have to be careful and most importantly never have that “one” drink.

I’ve no idea if “one” drink would have zero effect on me now or if I’d get major urges for weeks on end. I’m not planning to find out ever.

Thanks Ravel, hope you had a better week and all is good now. Your Now or Never thread is a fascinating read. You convey the struggles of early withdrawal very well. I promise it will get better.